Minggu, 12 September 2021
Nicola Sturgeon says she's "very confident" people in Scotland will vote in favour of independence - Sky News
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2021-09-12 11:11:43Z
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Five people in Edinburgh hospital after being hit by car - BBC News
A man has been arrested after five people were reportedly hit by a car in Edinburgh city centre.
Police Scotland said they received reports of the pedestrians being struck on Rose Street, near its junction with Frederick Street, at about 00:40 on Sunday.
Two men, aged 39 and 60-years old, and three women, aged 37, 22 and 65, were taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
All five are described as being in a stable condition.
Police said the car did not stop at the scene and continued to nearby Lothian Road where it was involved in a crash with another vehicle.
No further people were injured.
A 36-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the incident and Lothian Road remains closed up to the West Approach Road junction.
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2021-09-12 10:17:19Z
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COVID-19: Sajid Javid says he wants to ditch PCR tests for travellers 'as soon as I possibly can' - and reveals vaccine passport plans will not go ahead - Sky News
Sajid Javid has told Sky News he wants to remove the PCR test requirement for travellers returning from some foreign countries "as soon as I possibly can" - as he confirmed plans for vaccine passports have been axed.
The health secretary said he was aware of the cost for families holidaying abroad and that the measure should not be in place "for a second longer than is absolutely necessary".
Mr Javid said he had asked officials to remove the rule "at the moment we can".
Meanwhile, the health secretary also told Sky News he did not "like the idea" of vaccine passports and hoped to "avoid" introducing them.
"We have got a huge number of defences; of course we still want to remain very cautious, and there are some things that - when it comes to travel for example - there are some rules that are going to have to remain in place," Mr Javid told Sky News' Trevor Phillips on Sunday.
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"But the PCR test that is required upon your return to the UK from certain countries, look, I want to try and get rid of that as soon as I possibly can.
"I am not going to make that decision right now, but I have already asked officials that at the moment we can, let's get rid of these kind of intrusions, the costs that generates for families, particularly families just trying to go out and holiday.
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"We shouldn't be keeping anything like that in place for a second longer than is absolutely necessary."
At present, passengers returning from green list countries, or amber list destinations if they are fully vaccinated, must take PCR tests on or before day two after they arrive in England.
Last month, the government announced the cost of NHS coronavirus tests for international travel were being reduced from £88 to £68 each, with the sum for two rests reducing from £170 to £136.
The travel industry, which has been hammered by the pandemic, has long complained that the costs of tests are too high.
In August, Mr Javid announced a "rapid internal review" of prices charged by government-approved companies after claims holidaymakers were being exploited over private testing.
Asked on Sky News whether Labour would support scrapping the need for PCR tests to be taken by those travelling internationally, shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said his party "will have to see what the proposal is when it comes before Parliament".
Mr Ashworth added that, "at first sight", reports of the government plans "looks like a reasonable approach".
The debate comes as the Welsh government announced that international travellers returning to Wales will be offered a wider choice of COVID test providers from 21 September.
The Welsh government said in a statement it would make the change from September 21 as "new standards and spot checks are being introduced, which will help to address long-standing concerns and issues about the market for PCR tests" for those returning to the UK.
Meanwhile, on the use of vaccine passports, Mr Javid said the government would not introduce the measure unless there is "no alternative".
"I think if we went down the road of vaccine passports or vaccine certification as it is sometimes called, that is a big decision for any government to make," the health secretary told Sky's Trevor Phillips on Sunday.
"We have been looking at that, we have been open about that, instinctively I do not like the idea at all of people having to, let's say, present papers to do basic things.
"So if we do that, it has to be something that is looked at very carefully and something that we believe has to be done with no alternative."
The health secretary said "rising" vaccination rates should be taken into account when making "a final decision" on whether vaccine passports should be used, adding: "But I hope we can avoid it."
He continued: "I am not here today to rule that out, we haven't made a final decision as a government.
"We have been looking at it, we have been very open about that, but as I have said, I think that if we did something like that it has to be supported by the evidence and it has to be something that is absolutely, absolutely necessary with no alternative.
"So as I say, I hope we can avoid it."
Plans had been announced that members of the public would be required to show proof they have had two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine in order to gain entry to clubs and other large-scale events in England.
But in a U-turn later on Sunday morning, the health secretary said the idea had been scrapped.
Mr Javid told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: "What I can say is that we have looked at it properly and while we should keep it in reserve as a potential option, I am pleased to say that we will not be going ahead with plans for vaccine passports."
Earlier this week, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said an extension to use of vaccine passports will be looked at if there is a "public health need".
Mr Dowden told Sky News the government "want as few restrictions for as short a period as possible", but that if the situation with coronavirus worsens, ministers will consider requiring vaccine certification to attend more venues to "protect" the public.
The culture secretary did, however, emphasise that the government is "always reluctant to impose further burdens on businesses unless we really have to".
It came a day after Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced that vaccine passports will be introduced in Scotland for entry into venues with large crowds from 1 October.
COVID-19 certification will be required to enter events such as nightclubs, music festivals and some football grounds, Ms Sturgeon said.
MSPs in Holyrood voted by 68 to 55 in favour of the measure which will be introduced from 1 October after all Scottish adults have had the opportunity to receive both COVID-19 vaccines, with two weeks having passed to allow the vaccine to take effect.
Speaking on Sky's Trevor Phillips on Sunday, Ms Sturgeon said the measure "is part of a package of measures, it has a part to play".
"Anybody who thinks there is one single magic wand solution to this virus probably haven't learned a lot over the last 18 months, and secondly, any measure we take has upsides and it has downsides."
She added: "This is a very limited scheme, it is in fact similar to what is being proposed in England as well, and it has a part to play."
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2021-09-12 09:00:00Z
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Sabtu, 11 September 2021
End of PCR travel tests: Double-jabbed travellers will no longer have to take expensive Covid tests - Daily Mail
End of PCR travel tests: Double-jabbed travellers will no longer have to take expensive Covid tests when returning to Britain
- Officials are working towards scrapping requirement for green and amber lists
- Travellers will no longer need Covid tests before leaving for Britain or PCR tests
- Move will slash the cost of family holidays by hundreds of pounds
By Anna Mikhailova For The Mail On Sunday
Published: | Updated:
Double-jabbed travellers will no longer have to take expensive PCR Covid tests when returning to the UK, the Government is poised to announce.
Officials are working towards scrapping the requirement for green and amber list countries before the half-term holidays next month, The Mail on Sunday can reveal, providing a huge boost for millions of holidaymakers and the beleaguered travel industry.
Travellers will no longer need Covid tests before leaving for Britain, while the unpopular PCR tests currently required on the second day after arrival will be replaced by cheaper lateral flow tests.
The move will slash the cost of family holidays by hundreds of pounds. Currently, the PCR test can cost more than £100, while the NHS offers free lateral flow tests.
Officials are working towards scrapping the requirement for green and amber list countries before the half-term holidays next month, The Mail on Sunday can reveal, providing a huge boost for millions of holidaymakers and the beleaguered travel industry
The plan will be discussed this week by Boris Johnson, Chancellor Rishi Sunak, Health Secretary Sajid Javid and Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove who form the so-called Covid-O committee.
The change would also tackle fears that some PCR firms are profiteering and could provide an incentive for people to be vaccinated, as the new rules would only apply to those who have been double jabbed.
News of the plan came as:
- The Prime Minister prepared to set out his winter plan for coronavirus on Tuesday, saying: ‘Life has returned to a sense of normality... I’m determined to get rid of any powers we no longer need because of our vaccine defences’;
- The UK’s Chief Medical Officers were expected to recommend extending the vaccine rollout to 12- to 15-year-olds as soon as September 22, despite the independent Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisation (JCVI) refusing to do the same;
- Ministers were expecting the JCVI to recommend a vaccine booster programme;
- A further 29,547 cases and 156 deaths were recorded, while the number of people who have received two doses of a vaccine reached nearly 81 per cent of the adult population;
- American bank Goldman Sachs urged its entire 6,000-strong workforce in the UK to return to the office from tomorrow, with Cabinet Secretary Simon Case facing calls to encourage more civil servants to get back to their desks.
Travellers will no longer need Covid tests before leaving for Britain, while the unpopular PCR tests currently required on the second day after arrival will be replaced by cheaper lateral flow tests
At present, the Government requires all those entering the UK to pay for a PCR coronavirus test on or before the second day after their arrival, no matter what their vaccination status. Those arriving from countries on the Government’s amber list also have to take a pre-departure test, which can be a PCR or lateral flow test.
The test is not required for green list countries, while those travelling from red list nations must pay to stay in UK quarantine hotels for ten days.
Travellers will still be required to adhere to the testing rules of the country to which they are travelling but most EU countries have abandoned the requirement for PCR tests for the fully vaccinated.
Details for those under the age of 16 arriving in the UK are still being finalised but the intention is for them to be subject to the same system.
Travellers will still be required to adhere to the testing rules of the country to which they are travelling but most EU countries have abandoned the requirement for PCR tests for the fully vaccinated
Paul Charles, boss of The PC Agency travel firm, said last night: ‘This would be a significant vote-winner with consumers and the industry. It’s exactly what we’ve been calling for because these tests have been expensive and too confusing.
‘It’s a significant move that would boost confidence and help the travel sector recover substantially. It would help airlines, tour operators, and hoteliers, and crucially, it would help the inbound travel industry which is in turmoil.’
Current test rules would remain in place for those not double jabbed. There has been mounting anger about the cost of PCR tests, with a family of four often having to spend £600 or more. The Competition and Markets Authority last week reported widespread complaints of ‘dodgy pricing practices to unfair terms to failure to provide tests on time or at all’.
On Tuesday, Mr Johnson will set out his plan to combat Covid-19 this winter, when a rise in cases is predicted. He is expected to say that vaccines will remain the first line of defence and downplay the prospect of another lockdown by repealing several Government powers including the ability to close sectors of the economy, curtail events and gatherings, and detain infectious people.
Current test rules would remain in place for those not double jabbed
Legal powers in the Coronavirus Act to disrupt education and temporarily shut schools will also be removed, but others – such as giving sick pay to people isolating from day one and being able to direct schools to remain open if they close against Government guidance – will remain. An announcement on booster jabs is also imminent, with the JCVI widely predicted to back the move.
Chris Whitty, England’s Chief Medical Officer, and his counterparts in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are expected to recommend that vaccinations be given to 12- to 15-year-olds – advice the Prime Minister is set to accept.
Tory MP Robert Halfon last night said that if that happens, Mr Johnson and Professor Whitty should write to all parents in England to ‘explain why they’ve made their decision, the science behind it, and why they’ve made a different decision to the JCVI’. He added that ‘there must be a rule of parental consent, except in the most extreme circumstances’.
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2021-09-11 21:20:46Z
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Covid vaccine passports scrapped for winter by Boris Johnson - The Times
Boris Johnson will announce this week that he is scrapping plans that would have required vaccine passports for entry to nightclubs, cinemas and sports grounds.
On Tuesday, the prime minister will announce plans to try to keep Covid under control over the winter. He will say that he has abandoned the proposed compulsory certification scheme, which would have forced venues to check people’s vaccine status.
Johnson tore up the proposals after scientists said vaccinations would be an effective first line of defence against a winter wave of the pandemic. But the move also represents a significant concession to Tory backbench rebels who had complained that enforcing vaccine passports would create a group of second-class citizens.
Companies that already demand proof of vaccination will be
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2021-09-11 23:01:00Z
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Margate: Body found in search for swimmer who went missing at 3am - Metro.co.uk
A swimmer who went missing off the Kent coast at Margate in the early hours of the morning has died.
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) said the woman’s body was found three hours after she was reported missing at 3am on Saturday morning.
A mass search was launched to find the swimmer including two RNLI lifeboats with support from the coastguard and local emergency services.
Search teams covered areas near Margate harbour and Nayland Rock as well as further east to allow for tidal drift.
The body of a woman was discovered around three hours into the search by members of the RNLI’s shore crew.
The South East Coast Ambulance Service attended and the woman was declared dead at the scene. The search was then called off.
The RNLI said it passed on ‘deep condolences’ to the family and friends of the dead woman.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
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2021-09-11 18:51:00Z
CAIiEOSjekY9YazAdVSkJT__ODwqGQgEKhAIACoHCAowzc-JCzDQ5psDML_9oQY
Coastguard recovers man's body spotted in English Channel - Sky News
The body of a man has been recovered by the Coastguard in the English Channel, after being spotted by another vessel.
The body, which was lifted from the water this afternoon, has been taken to Eastbourne, Sussex Police have said.
Officers said the man had been seen in the water in the "mid-English Channel". They have not identified him, or confirmed his nationality.
Enquiries have begun into the circumstances of his death.
The discovery of the body, in what is one of the world's busiest shipping channels, comes amid a boom in staycations following the easing of coronavirus lockdown measures in the UK.
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It also follows a record number of Channel crossings which authorities have attributed to fine weather following weeks of unsettled conditions.
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It is thought at least 1,000 men, women and children were spotted making the journey from France to the UK last week.
The Home Office put the figure at lower than that but cannot yet say whether the record was broken.
Lifeboat teams were seen bringing groups of migrants ashore, including a baby and several young children, following a day which saw the first people escorted to safety from the Channel to Dover in more than a fortnight.
Eyewitnesses described authorities including Border Force and the RNLI as appearing to be very busy as a steady stream of crossings was thought to be under way on calm waters and under warm, sunny skies.
French authorities were also on alert for more migrant crossings.
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Local Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) teams based in Kent picked up a small boat carrying a large group of migrants at Dungeness on Monday morning.
Crossings over the perilous Dover Strait had been quiet due to bad weather, but seemingly resumed in September with four boats arriving last Sunday and many thought to have attempted the journey the following Monday.
Sunday's arrivals brought the total number of people who have crossed the UK aboard small boats this year to more than 12,500, according to data from the PA news agency.
Crossings in 2021 have already eclipsed last year's annual total of 8,417.
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2021-09-11 16:41:15Z
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